Counting Coffee Cups
by DearSweetPapercut
Summary: Greg wonders what it is that has made Sara so broken. He reaches out hoping to help her and over coffee she begins to unravel...
1. Chapter 1

Hey all another Sandle fanfic, this one exploring more about Sara's back ground. It's not going to be romantic from the offset up build up!  
Hope you all like it (especially, those of you that R&R Red Wine Moments!)

Please review!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these lovely characters!

**Counting Coffee Cups: Chapter One**

Sara sat alone at the bar running her fingertips around the rip of yet another empty glass. She could barely remember how much she had had to drink while she'd been there but from the expression on the bar tenders face as he placed another gin and tonic in front of her it must have been quite a few. She never liked this bar, the music was always too loud and the people were too obnoxious. But the alcohol had treated that. The silence at home had let Sara hear her own thought but she'd needed to escape.

"Let me buy you a drink." A man placed himself down next to her. The smell of beer radiating from was sickening, and there was something about the way that he looked at her that wasn't right Sara noted.

"No." Sara responded quickly hoping that putting her response bluntly would mean that he moved on quickly. But it didn't help as he watched her through sullen eyes he watched her in a way an animal would watch its prey.

"Come on babe." He laughed placing his hand on her leg. Sara flinched as the warmth of his skin reached hers. She assessed his strength trying to work out what to do next. She had been trained in weapon less defence but in this very real situation training seemed to mean little. She picked him hand up and shoved it back at him.

"No, thank you." She said in the sweetest voice she could muster, giving him a smile. But from the way he was undressing her with his eyes she could tell he wasn't going to give up that quickly.

"This guy bothering you?" the bar tender asked not taking his eyes off the jerk seated next to her.

"Look I'm leaving okay? I don't want any trouble." He threw his hands up in defence and began walking away as if something were able to explode.

"Thanks." Sara muttered handing yet another empty glass to him.

"I don't blame him, what's a girl like you doing here alone?" he said attempting to charm her.

"Alone is better than being with a creep like him. You want to join me?" Sara looked up, it was then she finally realised how handsome the young man that had been serving her all night was. Young. Almost half her age if she was honest.

The bar tender chucked. "I would if I wasn't working, but if he comes back, just give me a shout." He gave her a smile that could make butter melt while he passed her another G&T. He disappeared to serve other customers.

She placed her head in her hands and closed her eyes. The day that had passed ran through her mind. She thought of the fifteen year old girl they had found overdosed on the cocktail of pills she'd found in her parents medicine cabinet because she couldn't take any more of her father's abuse. Fifteen.

That was it.

Grissom had noticed how hard the case had hit her but she couldn't bring herself t telling him more of the misery that had lingering in her past. She remembered the way he had surveyed her with worried eyes making her feel inadequate. But she hadn't been able to unravel and to let him in.

"I would offer to buy you a drink but you look like you've already had too much." A voice muttered into her ear making Sara jump. She bolted up right to see Greg beaming at her. The sudden feeling of faintness and disorientation hit her as she fell forwards towards Greg.

"Are you okay?" he asked gently taking Sara by the shoulders. His expression changed quickly from a smile to nervousness.

"I'm fine." She said quietly. "Sit." She indicated to the stool where the creep had been sitting just moments before. Greg did as she told him, and placed himself down slowly retracting his arms away to make sure she could sit up.

"You going to tell me what's wrong?" he said ordering himself a whiskey sour. Sara thought for a few moments before she answered his question.

"Nope." She smiled.

"Fair enough." Greg said smiling down at his drink. "Anything I can do to help?"

"Yes, you can help me get drunk." Sara chuckled in a humourless way. She picked up Greg's drink taking a sip from it while the whole time not breaking eye contact with him. She placed it back in front of him and looked at him in a way that made his heart skip a beat.

The bar slowly started to empty as the evening passed but Sara and Greg remained in their seats. After a few drinks Greg switched to lemonade having the feeling that he was going to have to take Sara home. She had been determined to forget which ever memories were at the peripheral of her mind.

She was hurting.

Greg could tell but Sara was a closed book, to him at least. Even with that amount of alcohol in her system she wouldn't let anything slip.

"Come on, I'd better get you home." Greg finally said as they were the last people left. He stood up offering a hand to Sara so that she could pull herself up. Even with this support it seemed to be hard and soon enough she fell forward into Greg's arms. He awkwardly let her lean on him as they walked out of the bar into the night air.

Las Vegas only had one type of weather; hot. And it was no different as they walked. Soon enough Greg realised his ability to work as a support for Sara and also move forward were not effective. He scooped her up into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck in attempts to feel more secure.

Greg thought of the last time he'd carried a drunk girl home. It had been while he was still in college. They'd gone to a party together but found themselves separated to be reunited at the end. He glanced down at Sara who'd fallen asleep being lulled up his walking.

Soon enough they'd Sara's apartment. Greg rummaged through her coat pockets to find the key's to her front door. Finally finding them he swung the door open, the apartment was just like Sara, like an extension of her personality.

Greg laid Sara on her bed and placed her shoes and coat on the side. He pulled the duvet up to her chin and moved strands of hair away from her face.

Sara looked so defenceless.

She looked vulnerable.

He wondered what it was that made her so broken.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for the reviews so far, keep letting me know what you think :)

I got in and found my lecture was cancelled had three hours to kill and no motivation to be too productive….hope you like it!

**Counting Coffee Cups: Chapter Two **

Greg walked out into the car park glad that their day had finally come to an end. He loved his job, he really did but it were days like this where he lost whatever faith he had left in humanity. They had a result. But not one they'd wanted; a killer with no motive. No reason to kill but the pure pleasure of seeing the life draining out of another human beings eyes.

As he fished he's car keys out of his pocket he saw Sara sitting on the curb next to her car, cigarette smoke surrounding her. She had the same expression that he had.

Complete exhaustion.

Greg thought of Sara the night before, the way she'd drunk herself to a state of oblivion on order to escape. What had she been running from? Greg wondered.

He had wanted to ask her but, there was something stopping him. There was a feeling inside that told him that he didn't want to know the dark secretes Sara was hiding from them.

A part of him didn't want to know why Sara was so fragile.

"I thought you'd quit." Greg said approaching her. She looked up at him fiercely as if to let him know that it was not a good time to test her patience. Greg placed himself down next to her and looked out across the car park. People were trickling out of the doors escaping back to their lives while others replaced them with resistance.

"What's wrong?" he asked her.

"Stupid car won't start." Sara said shortly, she kicked the tire that she could reach and took a drag from her cigarette.

"I'll give you a lift, come on." Greg pulled himself up and offered Sara a hand with a moment a hesitation she took it letting herself be helped up. She put her cigarette out on the ground and followed Greg towards his car.

They drove in silence back to Sara's flat, neither one of them knowing what to say, they let the radio mask the awkwardness between them.

"You want to come in for a coffee?" Sara asked hoping that Greg would say no.

"Yeah, sure." She realised that she was out of luck when he replied.

Greg sat himself down and watched as Sara made their coffees in the kitchen. She wasn't herself, he could tell. She hadn't responded to his flirting the way she usually did that day. And she'd missed out on a brilliant opportunity to take him down leaving it up to Nick to be the sarcastic partner.

Greg thought of how much he loved Sara's sarcastic tongue, the way she took pleasure in cutting him down. He thought of the way her dark eyes would light up and shine to see his face fall. He loved the way she smiled so sweetly at him afterwards that it almost hurt.

Greg thought of the times he'd wondered if he actually _loved_ Sara.

He remembered a conversation with Nick about not being able to love someone you don't know. He didn't know Sara. Not really. Greg was fairly sure that no one at the lab really knew her. Not even Grissom.

To everyone Sara was addicted to two things, her work and coffee. She was from San Francisco, they knew that.

But he wondered if anyone knew anything else about her background; about her childhood? What it was like growing up?

"Here." She handed him a mug and took a seat opposite him, she pulled her legs up, resting her chin on her knee while taking slow sips from her steaming coffee.

"Thanks." Greg said leaning forwards. He was trying to build up the courage to ask her what was wrong once more but he didn't want to anger her. "Sara….if you want to talk…." He started trailing off; he glanced up to see her reaction.

Her eyes were wide, and tears were building her up. Sara attempted to blink them away.

"I'm fine Greg." She responded with a blatant lie, not being able to look him in the eye.

"You're not…Sara, I want to help you…I really do…just let me in." he pleaded with her. This was new. Greg noted, this feeling, this tone of voice…these words. He had never spoken like this before, especially not to Sara.

She took a sharp intake of breath, placed her coffee down on a coaster and tilted her head forwards wrapping her arms around her knees becoming as small as she could be. Sara didn't want Greg to see her like this but she couldn't stop the tears. If she was honest with herself she didn't want anyone to see her like this.

Greg placed his coffee down and sat down beside her. He rubbed her back in gentle circling motions waiting for Sara to make the next move. Waiting for her to say something.

In Sara's mind the images of the fifteen year old girl flashed burning her eyes. But soon enough it wasn't the girl she was seeing any more. It was her. Sara thought of a younger version of herself laying in a small dark room, her eyes shut so tightly it seemed as if she were wishing for something.

She had been wishing.

Every night Sara would lie there wishing that it would just be over.

Sara lifted her head and turned to face Greg, her tears slowly rolled down her cheek; she lent her head against his shoulder and let him wrap her up in his arms. She needed the feeling of being held.

She needed to feel something that she hadn't felt in a long time.

Sara needed the feeling of being safe.


	3. Chapter 3

Glad you like it so far! Please review!

Sorry going to be short!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these lovely characters : (

**Counting Coffee Cups: Chapter Three **

Eventually Sara pulled away from Greg her tears had dried but exhausted; warn out. He gently ran his fingers through her hair letting his hand rest on her jaw.

"Sara you don't have to go through this alone..." Greg whispered loud enough for Sara to hear him.

"Greg..." she turned away from him. "Please...just go..."

She couldn't look him in the eye. The warmth he was giving her was more than she deserved. But Sara couldn't let Greg watch her self destruct.

Greg stood up and with resistance walked out of Sara's front door, once on the other side he lent his head back and closed his eyes.  
On the other side of the door Sara stretched herself out of the sofa and drowned the painful memories she had tried to escape.

There was a knock at her door.

Picking herself up the way she had been for all of these years she answered the door. Greg stood there with a defiant look on his face.

Sara attempted to close the door, but Greg stopped her.

"I'm not leaving you." He said.

She crumbled, letting him back in. Sara threw herself back on to the sofa waiting for Greg to closed the door and sit himself down.

"Look Sara...I don't know what's wrong...and you not telling me doesn't help me out." He started talking hoping that something would make her tick. "But I care about you...and I want to be able to help if you open up...if you let me in...then...I don't know what or who as hurt you this much...but Sara it doesn't matter because...you're so much better than that..."

It was at this point that Sara turned around, not being able to take the sound of Greg's voice any more. She closed her eyes and tried to escape into a world of her own.

Greg sighed realising that he wasn't wanted he stood up and walked out, closing the door behind him leaving Sara alone.

Alone was something that Sara knew. It was something that she trusted because it was what she had been for all of these years.

She couldn't trust.

She knew that, the many therapists she'd been forced to see over the years knew that too. They would ask her questions but her cold answers told them everything that they needed to know. Even when she wanted to trust she couldn't. Greg. Grissom.

There were times when she could feel everyone's eyes on her wondering if she was alright or if she was there with them or stuck in a memory from years ago. And it was in those moments she wished she could tell someone about the pain.

There were pills.

Prozac to be more specific she had been prescribed to help. They didn't they just made her feel fuzzy. They made her feel empty.

Surely pain was better than feeling empty?

But even with the pills she couldn't help thinking about the years that had her passed her by, the years she had spent hurting about what had happened.

Sara thought of the way she lay in bed dreading the footsteps approaching her room, the light sneaking through the cracks in the door.

The same way that he would sneak into her bedroom.

She closed her eyes tighter hoping that the thoughts and memories would just go away.

All of these years she had been trying to escape the scars of her childhood. But she couldn't run. Not anymore.

She needed to break down.

She needed the ghosts to leave.


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you all for the reviews, every single one makes me smile, keep 'em coming :D

Again sorry going to be short!

Thanks to Catherine : )

**Counting Coffee Cups: Chapter Three **

Sara walked into the lab her hair dripping with rain from her short sleeved t shirt soaking her shoulders and back making the t shirt an even darker blue. An Americano steamed slowly in her freezing hands. Grissom raised his eye brows when he saw her but didn't make a comment.

"You're with Greg he's in the break room." Grissom said and pottered off in the opposite direction.

Great. She thought to herself. Sara wasn't ready for another re-enactment of the previous night.

Greg said flipping absentmindedly through a magazine not taking a single word in. He looked up to see Sara standing above him a less than amused expression on her face.

"What happened to you?" he placed the magazine aside.

"Rain." She responded shortly.

Greg waited for Sara to indicate some recognition of the last time they'd met but there was nothing, not even a flicker in her eye. He sighed pulling himself up.

"Come with me." He indicated for Sara to follow him into the locker room. She followed him dragging her feet in slightly resistance. Greg opened his locker pulling out a towel for her to dry her hair with and then a shirt and handed it to Sara.

She unfolded the bright yellow material covered in palm trees and looked at Greg with a raised eye brow.

"That is a cool shirt Sara Sidle." He said responding to her expression.

"I'll take you word for it." She laughed.

"I'll leave you to change, meet me in the-" but before Greg could say another word Sara had already pulled off her T shirt and on the shirt flashing bare skin at him. She quickly buttoned the shirt up that was clearly too big and turned to face him.

"Cool? Did you say?"

"Very."

They shared a smile and it was almost as if the previous night had never happened.

xxx

Brass looked at the shirt Sara was wearing under her vest but said nothing. He raised his hand to tell the two of them to follow him.

They entered an alley way that had been taped off anticipating what they were going to find. A young woman, no older than twenty lay on damp gravel, ligature marks made a purple necklace and bruises covered her arms and legs.

It looked as if her clothing had been ripped to shreds will still on her body.

David moved the body out leaving a void on the ground for them to work around. Sara could feel a lump building up in her throat as she and Greg bagged and tagged the evidence every so often conferring about what they had found.

They could both imagine what had happened to their victim. But neither one of them wanted to say it.

Greg could see the way Sara's eyes had darkened further and she'd clenched her jaw.

What had happened to her?

xxx

They headed down to Doc Robbins lair to hear about the last agonising moments of their Jane Does life.

"Particle haemorrhaging, your vic died of strangulation, the ligature marks suggest the use of a thin cord of some time. I did an SAE...she was raped beforehand." Doc Robbins told them calmly.

Greg could almost feel the anger radiating from Sara. She'd curled her fingers into fists and was standing on her toes. He wanted to reach out to her but knew better than to do that.

Sara could imagine the girl fighting back.

But realising she was going to be over powered; the feeling of hope leaving her body as she was pinned down.

Sara could imagine tears rolling down her cheeks.

The sound of her voice pleading, begging him to stop.

Sara could feel the helpless of the girl as she lay on the ground, gravel cutting into her skin as he forced himself into her.

It was moments before Sara realised that those feelings, that pleading and begging were her own.


	5. Chapter 5

Keep the reviews coming!

Thanks to Catherine : )

**Counting Coffee Cups: Chapter Five**

The evidence they process provided no breaks and the fact that they were both maxed out on over time forced Greg and Sara out of the lab.

"You want to get a drink?" Greg asked as they walked through the glass sliding doors. Sara nodded in response following Greg towards his car.

"They mechanic said he would tow my car back to the garage to fix it tomorrow." Sara explained climbing into Greg's passenger seat.

The bar was almost empty when they walked in but they could imagine it bustling with people in a few hours.

Sara felt an over whelming feeling trickle from her head to her toes as she ordered herself a drink. She needed something to burn the memories out of her mind. She just wanted to curl up, to hide from the world.

Greg placed his hand on the small of her back; his touch waking Sara up to reality. She flinched away from him.

"hey." He said quietly indicating a dark corner of the bar for them to sit at. Sara followed him silently sitting herself down but leaving a large distance between them that didn't go unnoticed by Greg.

Greg didn't need any more clues.

He didn't need Sara to say a word; he knew exactly what was wrong. Perhaps he had always known.

He pieced together moments over the years he'd known and worked with Sara. Greg thought about how she responded to their rape cases. The way she looked at men that attacked innocent women. The way she had just flinched when he touched her.

"Who was he?" Greg asked. The words slipped out of his mouth before he had a chance to take them back. There was no context to his question but neither one of them needed it, they knew exactly what Greg was asking.

"My foster father." Sara responded to his surprise. A part of Sara hoped that it would be enough to stop Greg looking at her in that way. The way in which a person would look at a puzzle they couldn't work out. A part of her wasn't sure if the pity was any better.

Greg slowly placed his hand on Sara's, gently picking it up he waited until Sara looked at him.

"If you ever want to talk...I'm a good listener." Greg said in such a low voice it was as if they were sharing a secret.

She did.

Sara wanted to talk. She wanted everything to stop going on in her head. She wanted to stop thinking about him. What he did. How she felt. How she _should_ feel.

"There isn't much to say. It happened." Sara shrugged her shoulders. Her words always said the opposite of what she wanted to say. Greg gave her a half smile and took his hand back.

They finished their drinks barely talking and as Greg drove Sara home it was the same.

"Thank you, see you tomorrow." Sara said quietly not meeting Greg's eye.

xxx

Sara looked the letter on her coffee table. The letter that had started all of this; these feelings, these thoughts, these memories. It had been on her bedside table, but since then it had been folded and unfolded many times. Sitting herself down and glanced down at the words on what had been crisp white paper.

_Dear Sara,_

_It's Drew Mason, you may be surprised to hear from me, you might not. How are you? I hope you've been well. It's been so long since I've seen you._

_I wanted to let you know myself, Emily died last week; she killed herself. And they can dress it up and pretend that it was the drugs and the streets that did that to her. But we know why she was there on the streets; it was what happened in the house. It was all of the things he did to her. To me. To you. _

_I'm not going to bother with building up, Sara. I went back, to see them. I met the girls, they are in a bad way. Someone of them barely spoke to me. It's not fair what he did to us and I don't want to let him get away with it any more. They have more foster kids. Did you know that? We have to stop him Sara. _

_I need your help, I've spoken to a lawyer because of my background they aren't going to pursue it fully. I'm off the drugs, I'm clean now. I've stopped working at the strip club, I've straightened myself out. I need you to testify. Not just for me Sara, for all of the girls, for Emily. _

_I know how hard it is to think about those memories. But think about what he deserves, think about justice for Emily. _

_Please Sara._

_Drew. _

Sara knew exactly what had to do.

xxx

Sara thought about getting the bus but her feet had a mind of their own and she ended up walking all of the way. Rain slowly fell dusting her hair and her shoulders. She climbed up the steps unsure about whether what she was doing was a good idea. But she pressed the buzzer before she could change her mind.

"It's me." She waited for the sound of the door unlocking. Taking a deep breath she headed in. The door of the flat was already open and Sara stepped in.

Greg sat on the sofa in the process of pouring two glasses of wine. Sara closed the door behind her and sat herself down next to Greg.

"Is that offer to talk still open?" she asked. Greg smile and handed her a glass of red wine and lent back on the sofa waiting for Sara to start talking.

"This..this is hard for me...I haven't spoken about this...before. But everything is going in my head...I need to talk..." she started taking a sip from her wine.

"Talk it out." Greg said taking Sara's free hand in his own.

"After my mother killed my father...I went into foster care...and I thought maybe...this is a chance to be a part of a normal family...it was fine...at first...but the other girls...there was something wrong I could tell...One night, he came into my room..." Greg squeezed Sara's hand knowing what was coming next. "It happened every night. I would lie in bed...just lay there hoping that he was too tired...or that he was away. But he was always there...I didn't say anything...neither did any of the other girls..."

"It's not your fault...you were scared." Greg responded noting the sound of guilt in Sara's voice. She nodded finishing what was in her wine glass in one go.

"I stayed there until I was eighteen...I let it happen...to me...to other girls..." Tears welled up in Sara's eyes.

"Shh...That man _raped_ you Sara...you were a child...there would nothing you could have done...it wasn't your fault..." Greg placed his glass of wine down and pulled Sara towards him.

"One of the girls killed herself Greg."

"That is not your fault. You went through the same thing. He did the _same_ things to you." Greg could feel anger bubbling up inside him. He didn't know the man that had done this to Sara but he hated him. He thought of her fragility. And of the pain she'd suffered over the years.

Greg lay down and pulled Sara into his arms, she was shivering against his body. He grabbed the blanket on the edge of the sofa and draped it over them.

Greg held Sara close to him muttering "it's okay" and other sweet nothings into her ear while stroking her hair.

He tried to envelope her in his warmth hoping that Sara could feel ...safe...


	6. Chapter 6

Keep the reviews coming!

Skipping through the court part for now hope you don't mind.

Thanks to Catherine : )

**Counting Coffee Cups: Chapter Six**

The morning light trickled through the windows gently waking Sara and Greg. The sound of Greg's heart beating under his t-shirt grew louder as Sara entered a state of consciousness. She opened and closed her eyes attempting to adjust to the light.

"Morning" Greg muttered to her, running his finger tips through her hair.

"Can we stay here?" Sara asked not wanting to move. She nuzzled Greg's neck inhaling the smell of his cologne.

"I guess we can stay for a little while longer." He responded smiling to himself. Greg's heart stopped beating for a second. He thought of all the time he'd imagined waking up with Sara. Greg closed his eyes and tried to memorize this moment; the smell of Sara's hair, the warmth of her skin, the weight of her on him.

Eventually they both dragged themselves up resistant to the day. Greg made Sara a coffee; she sat perched on a kitchen stool watching him make breakfast.

"One of the other girls wants to prosecute...she wants me to testify..." Sara sat watching her coffee steam. Greg stopped what he was doing and turned to face her. She looked vulnerable; scared, even.

"Is that what you want to do?" He asked watching Sara hoping for a reaction in her expression.

"Yes." She responded after a few moments. "I do."

Sara made the decision and decided not to go back.

This was it.

It was time to faceeverything she had feared for years. It was time to move on.

xxx

Drew sat opposite her, a coffee in her hand. They sat outside in the Las Vegas sun, awkwardly talking.

"Thank you Sara." Drew said looking nervously at her. Over the years they had grown apart; that was actually an understatement, they hadn't spoke since they were eighteen and allowed to leave that house.

"Don't. I need to do this." Sara responded taking Drew's hand.

It was her turn to be strong.

xxx

She sat next to Drew and Greg on one side of a large pine table in a rustic looking office. The defence lawyer sat opposite them. Her strands of her red hair falling out of the neat bun in to her face, her bright red lips pursed as she read through the statement Sara had written earlier that day.

"I guess I'll be seeing you in court Miss Sidle." The defence lawyer nodded a good bye and made a quick exit.

xxx

Sara had been in court rooms so many times, she'd be in the witness stand many times. But never as a victim. Sara had not let herself be the victim; not since childhood. She sat nervously, her hands clasped together waiting for the cross examination to start.

"Why did it take you so long to come forward Miss Sidle?"

"I was scared..." she looked down at her hands, then back at the people watching her, she found Greg in the crowd and held his gaze pretending he was the only person she was talking to. "I didn't know how people would respond...I didn't even know where to start..."

"Really...are you sure you didn't misread the signals?"

"Pardon?" Sara could feel a sense of breathlessness.

"You misread my clients signals...thought he was interested, but when he made a move on you, found yourself bitter and rejected?" The woman raised her eye brow at Sara.

"I was eleven...I was a child...he...he would sneak into my room at night...he would hold me down...put his hand over my mouth and...and..." it was then Sara broke down. Tears started rolling down her cheeks. She could see Greg look at her in a way that she'd never seen before. Taking a deep breath she calmed herself down. "I did not misread any signals."

"But you have done before? Your supervisor...Gill Grissom?"

"What?"

"You moved to Las Vegas for him did you not?"

"No, I moved for work." Sara's felt a sudden wave of weakness wash over her. "Objection. Miss Sidle's current relationship is not relevant to this case." Her lawyer interjected.

"Objection over ruled."

Sara's vision blurred by tears.

This was all too much.

These memories.

These questions.

xxx

Sara walked into the bar she had been in a few nights before, she needed to escape. She had ducked out on Greg. She needed to be alone.

Where better to be alone than in a packed bar?

Perching herself on a bar stool she waited for a bar tender to take her order.

"Let me guess...a gin and tonic?" a husky voice said to her.  
Sara looked up meeting deep brown eyes, ones she partially recognised. It was the same bar tender as from few nights earlier.

"Yeah thanks." She smiled.

"I've just finished my shift...want me to join you instead of letting a creep sweep you off your feet?" he gave her a smile placing a drink in front of her alongside a beer for himself not waiting for Sara to respond.

"Sure."

Perhaps some company wasn't a bad idea? Sara thought to herself.

Sara didn't count the drinks. She just kept taking each bitter mouthful as it came, catching the awkward lines the bartender send her way with a smile.

She took his tie into her hand and pulled him close, waiting a couple of seconds to watch the lust cloud over his eyes, she kissed him with a passion she hadn't felt in a while.

"There...is a room..." he started embarrassed slightly by his own forwardness.

Sara gave him a devilish smile and kissed him again.


	7. Chapter 7

Keep the reviews coming!

Sorry for being a bit slow, been super busy.

Thanks to Catherine : )

**Counting Coffee Cups: Chapter Seven**

They stumbled through the door their lips locked. Sara knew she should stop what was happening. She knew it was wrong. She knew that it would only make her feel worse after wards, when she looked back at what she had done.

But it didn't matter. Not now.

She let the bar tender place her down on the narrow black sofa in the dimly lit room that appeared to be an office. Sara closed her eyes and attempted to ignore how wrong the situation she had found herself in was and focused on the feelings. The feeling of a hand running up her top, kisses on her exposed skin and the heat that was slowing the air the room.

xxx

Greg punched Sara's number into the pay phone on a street he never walked down but it had been somewhere Sara had mentioned. Greg had spent the evening looking in Sara's haunts attempting to find her, to take her home, to make sure she was okay. He looked around nervously. It was the third time he had heard the same message.

"Sara Sidle, I can't answer your call at the moment, leave a message and I'll get back to you."

He sighed leaving a message.

"Hi, it's Greg, again. Sara, please call me back...when you get this...let me know you're okay..."

xxx

Sara heard a faint clicking behind her, but she was completely lost in the moment.

"Sara." A familiar voice called.

Greg's voice.

Sara's heart stopped, she attempted to push the man off of her, but it was a few moments before he noticed her unwillingness and Greg watching them. He quickly pulled himself up, grabbing his shirt on the way. The young man held in hands up in defence.

"This is between you and your Mrs, I'm out of here." He quickly moved past Greg.

"Sara...let me take you home." Greg said. He heart felt as if it had been shattered into a thousand pieces. Sara pulled herself up, straightening out her crumpled clothes. She looked worse than he had ever seen her before.

"I'm sorry Greg." She whispered.

He couldn't leave her. Not now. Not like this.

"Yeah I know...come on." He indicated for Sara to follow him out of the door.

They walked in the night air, Greg turned to look at Sara tears were silently making their way down her cheeks. He could feel his heart jump into his throat, he thought of the way a stranger had kissed and touched her. He thought of all the times he'd wished he could have done the same.

Greg reached out his hand taking Sara's in his own, she let her fingers intertwine with his, neither one of them saying anything.

They reached Sara's flat in silence. She turned to Greg, there were still traces of hurt and anger in his hazel eyes. She had to say something.

"That...he...meant nothing." Sara tried to explain. "I...just...it was stupid..."

"Yeah...you don't need to explain anything to me." He said in a low tone.

Greg turned around to walk away before he exploded and everything he felt for the last few years poured out. He wanted to leave before he couldn't stop himself from telling Sara that he loved her.

It wasn't a crush. It wasn't something fleeting. It was so very real.

"I do." Sara took Greg's hand, trying to stop him from walk away. He slowly turned around to face Sara.

"You have been...wonderful...more than that...you've listened...you taken care of me...and this...I'm sorry Greg." She held on to his hand, not being able to let go.

"Sara...please let me go." There was slight harshness to the tone of Greg's voice. She looked up at him her eyes brimming with fresh tears. "I might...I say something I shouldn't."

Greg pulled his hand out of her grip, and slowly began stepping back leaving Sara standing alone in the darkness.

xxx

She stepped inside unable to shake the guilt she was feeling. She'd been adamant that she didn't have feelings for Greg. But something had changed in that moment they had been standing outside. Watching Greg walk away with that hurt look on his face make everything she had felt and thought previously so very real.

And here she was close to losing him.

Greg probably thought she was easy. Sara considered the outcomes of that evening. She'd jumped a bar tender half her age. She'd been caught having sex with him the office of a sleazy club. Greg probably thought she was a slut. Perhaps that had been what he might have said. Maybe he wanted to tell her how he'd lost his respect for her.

Sara closed her eyes lying down on the sofa.

Trying to stop her mind from spinning but it didn't work.

She couldn't sleep.

xxx

Sara parked her car next to Greg's. She sat for a few moments not knowing whether she wanted to face him. But letting Jacks Mannequin be her courage she pulled the key out of the ignition and stepped out of her car and made her way up the stairs to the front door. Sara could hear the doorbell echo around inside of Greg's apartment.

He appeared with a cup of coffee in his hand and sleepy eyes.

"Sara." He said surprised.

"Can we talk?" she asked slightly breathlessly.

"Sure." He stepped out of the way letting Sara in.

xxx

Greg handed Sara a cup of coffee and poured himself a fresh one. Sitting himself down opposite her he waited for Sara to start talking.

"I made a huge mistake...last night." She said slowly watching Greg's face carefully. "I know...you said...you might say something you shouldn't..."

"Sara...it doesn't matter." Greg started but Sara cut him off.

"Yes it does. Greg it really does. Please...tell me...please..." her voice trailed off into a whisper.

"Sara I love you. I'm in love with you." He blurted out.

Greg took a deep breath he closed his eyes not wanting to see the fall out of what he'd just said.

The smell of Sara's hair and her skin filled his nostrils, the sound of her breathing filled his ears, and then he could feel her lips brush his with a gentle kiss.


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you all for reading and reviewing, I think this is going to be the last chapter, I hope you've enjoyed the story.

Let me know if you like it/if you want more Sandle goodness!

Special thanks to Catherine : )

**Counting Coffee Cups: Chapter Eight **

"Sara." He said breathlessly.

Greg had to bring himself back to reality. He had to stop this from going too far; he had to stop this before he hurt Sara. Or dare he say it...she hurt him. The images of the bar tender kissing her neck and making love to her were still fresh in Greg's mind.

"Greg...look...I can't say I love you...but please...let's give this a shot." The voice coming out of Sara's mouth wasn't her own. But she meant every word she was saying. Greg had shown her kindness like no one else, not even Grissom.

"Okay." Greg kissed her back with slight resistance, letting their lips brush gently.

He'd taken her care of her when she was being strong willed, resistant, vulnerable and stupid. And there was no denying that she felt something for him. Sara was confused. She didn't know what her feelings were not any more. Not after she had been so adamant that there had been something between her and Grissom.

But as she looked up into Greg's dark eyes, she hoped that one day this feeling she had would grow into love.

xxx

They sat in the court room waiting for the jury to tell them their verdict. Greg held Sara's hand as tightly as he could, while her eyes were focused on the man that had made her teenage years a living hell.

He stood there with a sly smile on his face as he surveyed the row of women that had once been vulnerable young girls in his grasp. The look on his face made Sara feel sick and it was made worse by the way he rested his eyes on her. The memories of how he'd touched her while she lay helpless beneath his weight flooded back. The way he'd looked at hadn't changed one bit. She could tell that he was thinking about the same thing.

"Guilty." The voice echoed out through the room but still the smile on his face remained.

As he was being taken away he slowed his pace as he walked past Sara stealing one last glance are her, letting his eyes wonder to where her t-shirt dipped revealing cleavage.

"You'll have fun with this one." He hissed at Greg another sickening grin playing on his face.

A tear rolled down Sara's cheek and her throat began burning, she stood up in order to escape.

xxx

Taking a deep breath she let fresh air fill her lungs. Those memories, wouldn't ever go away, they'd float like a distant reminder of worse times, she knew this. Sara didn't need an over paid therapist to tell her this.

It was over it was time for a new start. She thought to herself.

Greg appeared next to Sara, holding her hand bag awkwardly.

"Uhm...could you take this?...It isn't really doing my manliness any favours..."

"Sure." Sara laughed through tears taking the bag into her hands. Greg stepped in front of her wiping a tear away. He cupped her face in his hands.

"No one will ever hurt you again...I promise." He whispered so that only Sara could hear.

He placed his lips on hers, kissing Sara in a way no one had ever done before, making her knees weak as she melted into Greg's arms. He felt the butterflies in his stomach awaken as the sound of their hearts beating matched.

"I love _you _Sara Sidle."

He whispered into her hair. Sara felt her heart skip a beat at the sound of his voice saying those words.

The noise, the people, the traffic that surrounded them didn't matter.

Because for that moment, they were both completely and utterly content.

**The End **


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